Lessons
by musewars
Summary: Max is given a tutor for his wizard lessons, which changes how he views himself. Written for ficdirectory's prompt "S: Smart, Max Russo". Set during "My Tutor, Tutor".


Max was disappointed when he first met Tutor. He'd really had his heart set on that wise old owl. Of course Justin had just given him the usual weird look and head shake about it, but where was the fun in having some random cute chick teach him? She was a _wizard _tutor, after all.

Once they had gotten into the first lesson, though, things began to change. Tutor made learning spells interesting. She wasn't like his dad who made him sit there and take notes, or watch his siblings do the spells. Tutor would have him guess what the spell did before he tried it. That really seemed to help. To Tutor, it wasn't a matter of him getting it right the first go-round; it was about him understanding what he was doing, no matter how long it took.

Just the other day they tried the transportation spell. It was then he'd learned that Paris, Texas and Paris, France were two totally different places. That had really thrown him for a loop. Were there two of everyplace then? Was there another Waverly Place somewhere?

Tutor had just smiled and explained that many times people named places for other places. She'd then offered to let Max see if there was another Waverly Place out there. They'd tried the spell and ended up in Kentucky someplace.

That was when he knew he liked Tutor. She wasn't like everyone else. She was patient with him, and took the time to explain things which confused him or that he got wrong, where everyone else would just shake their heads or roll their eyes. It made Max willing to open up more, to ask more honestly about things which confused him, which seemed to happen a lot. Sometimes he felt like he was always confused, which caused him to stop paying attention.

It feels good, understanding magic. Suddenly he felt able to do anything. He begins reading the workbooks, practicing his hand-wand coordination, and doing spells on a test dummy. And he's doing them well, too! He almost can't wait for his test.

Even better, Alex comes to him the night before the test and offers to help him. He's a little apprehensive at first, since it's Alex. Usually Alex isn't into helping. But then Justin agrees, and offers to help, too. Max relaxes at this. He trusts Justin. After all, Justin's so smart and the one his parents are proud of. So he takes a seat.

Then Alex turns on the television, and there's a marathon of "When Unicorns Attack". Suddenly any other thoughts go away, and he begins to watch the screen.

[-]

He bombs it.

It's terrible. More than terrible, really. Nothing goes right.

It's like the past few weeks haven't happened. Max can't focus, can't remember spells anymore. Everything's a haze. Is he holding his wand right? What was that spell again? The more spells he casts wrong, the worse he feels and the more he begins to check out again.

Typical.

Usually when Max does this bad at something all he gets are looks and people shaking their heads at him. Yet Tudor surprisingly does neither of those things. She looks… sad. Not disappointed sad, but just... sad.

They have no time to talk though; the second he's done with the last question his brother and sister enter the room. Had they been waiting on him? Now he really does feel bad, having to tell them how badly he performed. And after they spent so much time helping him, too. Yet before Max can even open his mouth they've both run past him to Tudor.

And right away it hits him, as they excitedly begin making plans with her. Especially when they cover his mouth before Max can tell Tutor how they helped him study the night before. They didn't want him to do well. They just wanted to sabotage him in order to spend more time with Tudor. And he'd fallen for it, again.

He really is that stupid.

He's genuinely hurt. Justin and Alex are his brother and sister. If he can't trust them… well, then what?

[-]

Max hadn't been planning on revenge, not until his mom told him he should do so. It's his mom who gives him the idea. Well not really; more like given him permission. She confirmed what he suspected about Alex and Justin. And in her own way, let him know it would be okay to do this.

The question now is how to get back at them for sabotaging his test.

The answer comes as he enters the room. Alex of course attempts to use reverse psychology on him – mainly because it works all-too-well. Before she's done he's been nearly fooled, until Justin suddenly admits to their plan of wanting Tutor to stay.

And suddenly, Max feels good. Not because he got back at them, because really he hasn't, but because Tutor knows the truth. She knows Max didn't just bomb the test on his own. He could have done it, and should have, and for once knew it, too.

And suddenly it hits him how he should get back at his siblings; by using something Tutor taught him. So he does.

[-]

Stupid Wizard World rule. He knows Tutor, and probably his dad, have explained it all to him before, yet Max still doesn't like it. Something about the council wanting to make sure the field stayed even, whatever that meant. At any rate, Tutor was leaving. She's said goodbye already to everybody else.

"I…" he begins. He really is at a loss for what to say right now, so shuffles his feet and looks to the ground. "I can't do it without you."

It's a lame thing to say, and he knows it. He also knows she won't believe him since usually when people say that to others they don't really mean it. But he really does. He's only done well because of her. He really can't do it.

He looks back up at her and is confused by the look Tutor is giving him. It's not sad, or angry, or confused, but something else. Now he feels worse.

"Max," she says firmly. "Yes you can. Don't you ever let anyone tell you differently. You are smart, Max Russo. More importantly, you have your own way of looking at things, and you should never be ashamed of that. People like you are the ones who change the world."

He never forgets her words. They run across his mind every time someone gives him a funny look or shakes their head. For it was the first time – perhaps the only in a long while - he honestly felt smart, and proud to be who he was.


End file.
